Paris, Texas

New German Cinema pioneer Wim Wenders (Wings of Desire) brings his keen eye for landscape to the American Southwest in Paris, Texas, a profoundly moving character study written by Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Sam Shepard. Paris, Texas follows the mysterious, nearly mute drifter Travis (a magnificent Harry Dean Stanton, whose face is a landscape all its own) as he tries to reconnect with his young son, living with his brother (Dean Stockwell) in Los Angeles, and his missing wife (Nastassja Kinski). From this simple setup, Wenders and Shepard produce a powerful statement on codes of masculinity and the myth of the American family, as well as an exquisite visual exploration of a vast, crumbling world of canyons and neon.

“Wim Wenders Hollywood April ’84,” a segment from the French television program Cinéma cinémas, showing Wenders and Cooder at work on the score

Deleted scenes and Super 8 home movies

Gallery of Wenders’s location-scouting photos

Behind-the-scenes photos by Robin Holland

Theatrical trailer

PLUS: A booklet featuring a new essay by film critic Nick Roddick, interviews with Stanton, writer Sam Shepard, and actors Nastassja Kinski and Dean Stockwell, and excerpts from Wenders's book of photos Written in the WestNew cover by Neil Kellerhouse

“Wim Wenders Hollywood April ’84,” a segment from the French television program Cinéma cinémas, showing Wenders and Cooder at work on the score

Deleted scenes and Super 8 home movies

Gallery of Wenders’s location-scouting photos

Behind-the-scenes photos by Robin Holland

Theatrical trailer

PLUS: A booklet featuring a new essay by film critic Nick Roddick, interviews with Stanton, writer Sam Shepard, and actors Nastassja Kinski and Dean Stockwell, and excerpts from Wenders's book of photos Written in the WestNew cover by Neil Kellerhouse

Cast & Credits

Cast

Harry Dean Stanton

Travis

Dean Stockwell

Walt

Nastassja Kinski

Jane

Hunter Carson

Hunter

Aurore Clément

Anne

Bernhard Wicki

Dr. Ulmer

Credits

Director

Wim Wenders

Producer

Don Guest

Written by

Sam Shepard

Adaptation by

L. M. Kit Carson

Executive producer

Chris Sievernich

Music

Ry Cooder

Director of photography

Robby Müller

Editing

Peter Przygodda

Art director

Kate Altman

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This piece first appeared in the 1991 Wim Wenders collection The Logic of Images: Essays and Conversation (Faber and Faber), translated by Michael Hofmann.
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